House Moves For First-Timers: Do Movers Charge Extra For Stairs?

If you’re moving for the first time, you might be both excited and daunted about everything that’s going to happen to your move. For instance – you’re going to be in your dream home, or a home that’s much closer to work or school! However, before you enjoy the perks of having a new neighborhood and visiting new places, you do have to make sure all your things are properly unpacked and you’ve settled quite neatly in your new home. Unfortunately, before you even get to settle in your new home, you’ve got to pack and transport your things.

Thankfully, hiring a moving company can make your move extremely convenient for you. After all, their expertise and skill when it comes to packing, transporting, and unpacking your belongings will ensure they’re kept safe and sound throughout the moving journey. However, if you’re just about to hire a moving company, you might be wondering: do movers charge extra for stairs?

Do Movers Charge Extra For getting furniture up Stairs?

• Location and overall demographic matters. If you plan on hiring a moving crew, it’s important to understand that movers charge depending on their location as well. For instance, cities or states with a lot of high-rise buildings – and therefore need to take a flight of stairs to reach their destinations – will likely have homeowners incur extra costs for the move. 
• Climbing up the stairs may incur extra cost. Some movers need to visit your new space to be able to identify extra costs in your final bill, especially if there’s a need to take household items up a flight of stairs. Sometimes, these are calculated per flight of stairs or per step that’s taken. It’s important to remember that these items are charged extra as it takes extra effort to climb upstairs, and heavier household items make it much harder to climb up and therefore require extra care.
• Hoisting or lowering objects need extra equipment. Likewise, you need to assess whether your situation with stairs can actually be plausible for the actual move. For instance, furniture that won’t fit along narrow hallways and staircases or even doors may have to use a rope-and-pulley mechanism to be hoisted down the house. As this service isn’t always used by movers, these may come at an extra cost. You need to take this into careful consideration, especially if you’ve hired long distance movers as they may need to take their hoisting equipment to your new location, which may be in the next state.
• Carrying belongings across long distances may cost extra. Another important consideration regarding extra costs for local moving would be the distance between stairs, the front door, and the nearest parking space. If you hire movers, it’s also likely that the distance between your home and the nearest parking space may be taken into consideration – especially for a long carry. As such, if your parking space is too far from your home, movers may need to be paid extra to take them inside. You need to take this into account so you won’t feel extra stressed during moving day. 
• Amount of belongings to take upstairs may be a factor. One other important factor when it comes to an extra fee with stairs would be the kind of belongings to be taken up in the first place. For instance, smaller boxes with proper packing materials shouldn’t normally cost less. However, larger objects like furniture may incur an additional fee. Moreover, professional movers m1ay include shuttle services to the cost, especially when they need to get many movers to take your belongings up the stairs.
• Type of moving would be a factor. Lastly, the kind of moving you’ll want your professional moving company to do would impact the extra costs as well. Companies charge depending on the packing service you’ll be requesting of them. For instance, while house moves are the most common reasons people move, moving companies may also specialize in corporate moves – which may have their own set of rules regarding stairs. 

The Stair Problem: It Depends On The Movers

With the above tips in mind, it’s important to remember that a huge part of what makes moves successful – especially with movers – lies in how both you and your house movers coordinate with one another, especially in terms of what exactly you want them to do to make your house move more convenient. Thanks to their various specializations, you may be able to get the most out of their expertise and skill set. As such, potential extra costs with regards to stairs and other intricate matters would depend on how you and your prospective company would negotiate your respective sides once you do get to hire a moving company for your needs. Good luck and have fun with your move!